Pump rod crosshead assembly



June 19, 1951 c. E. RULON PUMP ROD CROSSHEAD ASSEMBLY 2 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Dec. 28, 1948 Charles E. Ru/oh INVENTOR.

C. E. RULON PUMP ROD CROSSHEAD ASSEMBLY June 19, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 28, 1948 Char/es E. Ru/on IN VEN TOR.

Patented June 19, 1951 UNITED YATES "is r ti FFICE This invention relates to new and useful improvements in pump rod assemblies and the primary object of the present invention is to provide a novel and improved steam and fluid end piston-rod connection for steam slush pumps, and for power slush pumps, as well as all pistontype fluid pumps.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a pump rod assembly including a pair of coaxial piston rods and embodying a novel and improved cross head coupling said rods and designed for operative engagement with an oscillatory element for actuating valves controlling the pump cylinders in which the rods are mounted for reciprocable movement.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a pump rod assembly that is extremely small and compact in structure and which is quickly and readily assembled or disassembled in a convenient manner.

A still further aim of the present invention is to provide a steam and fluid end piston-rod connection that is simple and practical in construction, strong and reliable in use, neat and attractive in appearance, durable and eflicient in operation, relatively inexpensive to manufacture, and otherwise Well adapted for the purposes for which the same is intended.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of the present invention in slightly modified form;

Figure 2 is a group perspective view of the modified form of the present cross head assembly:

Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectional view taken substantially on the plane of section line 3--3 of Fig. 1 and showing the piston rods in elevation; and,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the present invention operatively connected to the rocker arm of a slush pump.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration, there is disclosed a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the numerals 42 and 45 represent a pair of complementary halves or coupling members each having a pair of semi-circular flanges 4S and 48 integrally formed therewith between which there is received a suitable rocker arm Illa.

The members 42 and 44 include alternate grooves. 58 and flanges Gil matching the flanges Circmnferentially spaced, radially disposed cars project from the inner ends of the collars l2 and it and receivably engage bolts 18 which are adjustable to bear against the flanges 46 and 8 to restrict rotary movement of the collars relative to the members 132 and 44.

Lock nuts 86 receivably engaged on the bolts l8 retain the latter in a selected adjusted position.

In the conventional type of connection the cross-head is a solid piece, bored out and threaded to accommodate a, piston-rod which is also threaded on the end to be screwed into the crosshead and locked with a, lock-nut against danger of loosening and hacking out. The proposed method of connecting the piston-rods is designed to eliminate the time, labor and difficulties encountered due to damaged threads and other causes which cause the piston-rod to be hard to make up in the cross-head; also to eliminate the use of a lock-nut on each of the piston-rods, and has the advantage that the pistons are always spaced in exactly the same position in relation to each other.

The proposed method consists of a split cross-' head made in two sections with a series of lands and grooves machined into the piston-rods and corresponding lands and grooves machined into the split cross-head, thus eliminating the use of the conventional spiral threads on the piston-rods and in the cross-head, and the use of the lock-nuts on the piston-rods The crosshead is secured in operating position by means of four machine type bolts, fastened with a nut and lock-nut, two bolts to each side of the crosshead and two bolts to each end of the cross-head, the bolts to be of sufiicient size and strength to carry the strain of holding the cross-head together imposed on the cross-heads according to the size and type of pump.

This method also has the advantage of doing away with the use of large wrenches necessary to make up the piston-rods in the cross-head and allows the piston-rods to be connected by the use of small hand-wrenches of sufficient caable in a pump cylinder, as shown in Figure 4,

and that the pump cylinder is provided with control valves at the ends thereof for introducing steam into the cylinder for actuating the piston and moving the rod 66, cross-head 61 and rod 68.

The rod 68 is also detachably secured to a piston that is mounted in a further pump cylinder of the fluid type.

The cross-head 61 is operatively connected to the rocker arm which in turn is connected to the valve stem push rods l8h controlling the firstmentioned pump cylinder so that as the crosshead 6': is moved an automatic operation of rod 6%, cross-head 6i and rod 58 can be maintained.

In view of the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is believed that a clear understanding of the construction, operation and advantages of the device will be quite apparent to those skilled in this art. A more detailed description is accordingly deemed unnecessary.

It is to be understood, however, that even though there is herein shown and described a preferred embodiment of the invention the same is susceptible to certain changes fully comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described and the scope of the appended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a slush pump including a rocker arm, a pair of valve stems actuated by the rocker arm and a pair of piston rods having inner adjacent ends provided with alternate spaced lands and grooves, a cross head including a pair of complemental members having opposed concaved recesses receiving the adjacent ends of said rods,

grooves and lands provided in said recesses re ceiving the lands and grooves of said rods, collars embracing said members, means preventing rotary movement of said collars relative to said members, and a pair of flanges integrally formed with each of said members and receiving the rocker arm therebetween.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said members are tapered outwardly.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said last mentioned means includes adjustable fasteners bearing against said members, said fasteners being carried by said collars.

4. In a pump rod assembly including a pair of piston rods having inner adjacent ends provided with alternate spaced lands and grooves, a cross head including a pair of complemental members having opposed concaved recesses receiving the adjacent ends of said rods, grooves and lands provided in said recesses receiving the lands and grooves of said rods, said members being outwardly tapered and externally threaded, internally threaded collars receivably engaging said members, and means preventing rotary movement of said collars relative to said members.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said means includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced ears projecting from said collars, adjustable fasteners carried by said ears, each of said members having a pair of spaced, outwardly projecting semi-circular flanges against which said fasteners bear.

CHARLES E. RULON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 334,547 Richards Jan. 19, 1886 1,281,284 Brunson Oct. 15, 1918 1,631,250 Daniel June '7, 1927 2,024,527 Kaplan Dec. 17, 1935 2,133,050 Simmons Oct. 11, 1938 

